ALC 12: West Oakland to Richmond

Today was an amazing nice day for riding in the east by with Meredith, Alyssa, and Johnny. We did 24.5 miles according to Map My Ride. it did not feel like a 24.5 mile ride maybe 15.  Even at halfway of our ride it did not feel like the 12 miles it said, when i say feel like I am referring to how my body was feeling not mental cognitive distance. My weeks total is 39 miles. it was a beautiful ride along the east side of the bay. the view was fantastic and it was basically all bike trails and no cars. even when we dealt with cars they more considerate than San Francisco drivers.  I was at peace. It was amazing i love being in my element, riding these days is me its who i am its an extraordinary out for me mentally, emotionally and physically as I over come some much each time I ride.  I am also hyperaware looking for and calling out blind spots grates anything that could have been a danger to the other riders with me and possible to people we pass. I am really blessed.  My ultimate goal besides a cross country ride is to get into cycling races and ride the tour de france im not worried about placing just finishing.  That is what i want to do.  I love I have great goals i am working hard to get to points to do them. And of course my ride celebatory rising of the bike to signify another completed ride

ALC 12: A Caution to Beginning Riders from a Beginner

I know many like myself express when they begin ALC training they need to get in shape, they need to lose weight, they need tone down, and many more I need to do this.  The number one thing that will actually be harmful to a rider and also will set them back in their mileage is cutting carbs.  While all these diets tell people cut carbs its a damaging process to the body especially for a cyclist.  I am speaking from experience,  Our body needs carbs, it needs it to process on ride and non ride days to sustain our body's life force and stamina.  If it wasn't for LifeCycle Rep Julie Brown, I would never have realized the damage i was doing to my body as yes I was losing weight, but i was beginning not to sustain rides.  I peaked at 48 miles and I will admit I need to work at getting back up to that point as lean muscle or muscle trying to turn in to lean muscle wasn't getting the nutrients a food it was needing where I am struggling at 20 not to say I cant do 30 or 40, I just need to stick in the 30-40 mile range for now to build back up what I destroyed.

So how does one lose weight in a healthy weigh, with or without supplements; first eat complex carbs. Complex carbohydrate foods are basically those in wholegrain form such as wholegrain breads, oats, muesli and brown rice. Complex carbs are broken down into glucose more slowly than simple carbohydrate and thus provide a gradual steady stream of energy throughout the day. Natural carbs are also a better choice when losing weight. Change your white flour for wheat flour.

Stay away from simple or these bad carbs

• White bread (the number one bogeyman!)
• Potatoes (especially fried because of the added fat and cholesterol)
• White flour pasta (as opposed to whole wheat pasta)
• White rice
• Burger buns
• Tortillas and wraps (unless made with whole wheat flour)
• Breadcrumbs on fried chicken
• Bread sticks
• Cookies and biscuits, unless they’re whole wheat digestives
• Pizza dough

You can lose weight by eating healthy carbs including foods that have natural carbs. Especially as a cyclist Continue to eat complex carb as you need it before a ride and during a ride especially after to replace all you lost. Eat foods in high proteins such as eggplant, yams, fish, and chicken and much more and you will lose the weight and get is shape at the time and if you want to gain we ight you can eat more and increase your portion size. Eat small snacks through out the day and smaller portions at meals

ALC 12: I am still doing it

Almost 2 and half months has passes since I started riding and I am still riding.  My health is still doing great minus some fatigue again but nothing I am not able to overcome.  My biggest ride to date is a 48 mile ride (including ride home) and this was the training ride kickoff. I have been riding on the weekends by myself working up the mileage.  Prior to 48 miles I did the a route from the Ferry Building up over Fort Mason to Golden Gate Bridge down past baker beach to North Beach and back through Golden Gate Park and home via Haight and Market. Also did the Fairfax ride as well.  I am riding 10-20 miles easily and doing hills today was 14.63 miles started feeling sick so did not do the headlands which was a great thing as the rain was coming in.  I try to ride at least 10 miles a couple times a week.  I love being able to just get on the bike and ride anywhere.  I have a passion in life an expensive passion in life but I live for cycling and it is my peace time and mindfulness when I ride nothing else matters and there is something about just being out in the world on the bike that just gives a new perspective to the world and life.  to date I have lost 14 lbs and gained 8 in lean muscle.  I have been doing the Transformation kit of Visalus and I love Visalus. My sugar level has been normalized since being on it and many of my healh problems are almost non existent.  People have notice I have slimmed down.  I have gone down a pants size losing this gut.  I plan on doing ALC 12 next year 545 miles in 7 days, the double bay double (two centuries), the ride for semperfi, as I prepare and traing for a cross country ride. To date I have raise $250, check is in mail from building manager for $20.  PLEASE DONATE. $10,000 which is my goal as I was wrangled into it, provides services for 250 people for another year. 10,000 is much when I think of it as my meds are 10k a year, so i can at least raise the cost of my prescriptions for services for 250 people.

www.tofighthiv.org/goto/kdulac

ALC 12: the Sponsorship Letter

On February 21st, 2010 I had my world turned upside down when I was given an HIV
positive result at the Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs. I decided I was not going
to be a victim of circumstance and instead would put a face on HIV/AIDS. I worked in
outreach and prevention as an advocate, peer educator and mentor. I taught HIV 101
at Berkeley High and sat on the HIV Prevention Planning Council, all while my health
continued to deteriorate.

I decided to do something greater for others and for my health. I decided to train for the
AIDS/Lifecycle. I borrowed a bike and after only a few weeks I’m already up to 48
mile rides! I am riding for those unable to ride. I am riding for those who have passed
on and are no longer here with us because of HIV/AIDS. I ride for those who have been
effected and affected by HIV/AIDS in hope of bringing a better quality of life to them.
The money I raise will be used to provide services these people need provided by San
Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. I am riding for
LIFE. I am riding because I AM A SURVIVOR!!!!!

I answered the call to make a difference in my life and for those around me as well. Will
you answer the call to donate?

My biggest fundraiser is ride jersey that I will wear with the Positive Pedaler logo which
will be a tribute to those living with HIV/AIDS and those who have lost their fight. To
have a tribute placed on the Jersey a minimum of $250 is required. Those who pledge
$500 will receive a t-shirt with the same design as the Jersey.

My goal is to raise 10k, but every dollar makes a difference. You can make a one time
donation, or you can do a monthly pledge as well. All donations are tax deductable.

Thank you so much for your consideration and your support.

With gratitude,

Katerina G. du Lac

Positive Pedaler and AIDS/LifeCycle Rider 2984
http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/kdulac

ALC 12: Why I ride?

I have chronic severe pain and fatigue, mobility issues, neuropathy, asthma, type II diabetes (diet control still) battle with seizures even though they have been pretty non existant  for a bit, and now the onset of demetia and this does not include my mental health issues.  When i got home the end of July after 3 months of travels with my health deteriorating during the trip, by some miracle my health started to turn around as I had more energy and strength than I have had in a long time. So I decided to seize hold of this energy and strength and got a gym membership to work on overcoming my health obstacles and get rid of the can'ts in my life and try to improve the quality of my life. Since i was training at the gym I decided if I can do this I am going to do something greater for me and my health. I am going to train for the AIDS Lifecycle.


Why am I riding and training for the AIDS Lifecycle? First and foremost, and it may come off selfish however the truth is I am riding for myself.  I spent the last few years serving and volunteering for everyone else except for the person that matter the most at the time and that was myself. I allowed my health to deteriorate while i wanted to live and put a face on HIV I was unable to take care of my health or me as in the ways needed or truthfully did not realize i was taking care of myself. I've taken a year off of major volunteer commitments focusing deeper on my health, sobriety, physical and mental well being and really living. I ride as a first year ALC rider and first year positive pedaler in tribute of myself, my life, and all I have overcome and for the person I am becoming. I ride because I am HIV+ and to show others that life does not end when the become positive it ends when you give up and I am the type of person who doesn't like to be told i can't to something or that my goals are unrealistic.  I have spent my life reaching for the stars and I am not only going to ride the 545 miles in ALC 12 from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June I am already planning on riding cross country for charity and myself as well.
 

Even those this year this ride is dedicated to myself for my first ride, I am part of something greater than me at the same time. I am also riding for those unable to ride for many reasons. I am riding for those who have passed on and are no longer here with us because of HIV/AIDS. I ride for those who have been effected and affected by HIV/AIDS in hope to bring a better quality of life to those the money I raise along with the money my ALC and Posped Family raises to provide the services these people need that are funded by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbain Center. I am riding for LIFE.

I am riding because I AM A SURVIVOR!!!!!

Please Donate to my ride for ALC 12 monthly or one time gift options available. please donate via link ask me to mail you or email you a form for your credit card to mail in or send a check to

AIDS/LifeCycle
Dept 34745
P.O Box 39000
San Francisco, CA 94139

on check mark it: Katerina du Lac 2984

www.tofighthiv.org/goto/kdulac

ALC 12- Let's do this- Am I crazy?

 This originally was posted to "ALC 12: Katerina- A Beginners Ride and Journey to 545 Miles in 7 Days"

I don't know if I am crazy or not, okay I am crazy just ask anyone who knows me, point is what am I doing? I made a decision when I joined the gym earlier this month that I might as well train for the AIDS LifeCycle as well, a 545 mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 7 days-- June 2-8, 2013.  I did my two first rides this weekend which soared over most expectations even min as I am told most beginners barely do five let alone 10 and they don't do 22 miles especially since it was my first day on a bike in at least 6 years. To top it off I did 30 miles of a 37 mile ride the today just to try and beginners do not ride 50 miles their first weekend. 22 miles is ambitious enough let alone doing 50 in one weekend is insanely overzealous and the best part I am enjoying every moment of it. What wonderful support I found this weekend; the encouragement, support and camaraderie is uncanny ALC and pos ped riders really care about one another its a community of love and friendship and one huge family.

If you were to ask me 2 months ago to do this ride I would have said you were crazy, I have too many health problems i would been able to ride 2 miles let alone 22 miles and doing Sauscilito Lateral one the first time out with out cross training.  However the beginning of this month after returning from my travels, my health to a miraculous turn for the better and with new found strength and energy I am getting in shape and getting my diet regulated.  My sugar is completely out of whack it keeps jumping high and low, and I had already cut the sugar out of my body for a month now and I am type II diabetic diet controlled, so my biggest goal is to get my diet and sugar under control as it is dropping alarming low.  I just started Visalus this week, so I am excited to be trying this supplement. My fundraising goal is 5k which is reasonable for a first year rider.  As a new rider I am also one of the newest pos ped or positive peddler, a rider who is HIV positive or has an AIDS diagnosis and their supporters.

I have such a passion to do this ride and I WILL DO IT!!!!!